My husband and I stayed at Hotel Ranola for the first time Dec 2 and 3rd in the king suite. The room was huge and the decor was unique and stylish. The room had a full kitchen with a little eating area as well as a large sitting area with a bar. We stayed in Room 1 and did not experience any odd or musty smell. On the contrary, the room was very fresh and clean. To be clear, this is an old building which has been very nicely renovated. The wood floors creaked and it didn't have the ultra luxurious finishes that some may prefer in a hotel. The air conditioner in the room is a window unit. None of that mattered to us...it only added to the charm. The hotel was in a great downtown location which allowed us to make the most of our time in Sarasota. We will definitely be back!!

Recently stayed at the Hotel Ranola for the first time on the recommendation of a friend and was very pleasantly surprised. A wonderful staff/owners, electric design and so close to everything. Parked the car and walked everywhere. The room was very clean and roomy and the free internet was a plus. Definitely will stay again.

Like others here, I had the same experience with the odd, musty smell. It was not overpowering, but was bad enough to be a little sickening, like an old, bad laundry fabric softener cloth or something. As another reviewer suggested, it might be from the A/C, but even when the unit was turned off, the smell remained.

We bought a giant bunch of fresh basil from the market, and kept that in the room, but its lovely aroma was no match or the underlying mustiness!

The bed was soft and if you got too close to the edge, you immediately rolled off the side! The room looked nice, but again, as another reviewer mentioned, the hotel does not have nice views, being bordered by the post office and Verizon buildings, mostly.

The staff was very nice and friendly, and had good suggestions for places to visit and eat. We've been to Sarasota, which we love, several times, and we've always stayed at the lovely Cypress B & B. Much nicer surroundings and the breakfasts and late afternoon snacks/drinks are awesome!

I was surprised to have such a substandard experience at the Hotel Ranola, since it has gotten such good reviews. But an un-ignorable musty odor can certainly put a damper on one's stay! Although, on the positive side, it forced us out of the room and out into the lovely environs of Sarasota, probably more than we would have done, if the room had been a better-smelling one!

Also, one minor complaint: A light bulb was bad in one of the bedside lamps. I asked for a replacement, and never got one. So, for our 4-days there, one side of the bed stayed dark.

My wife and I have been twice to the Ranola this year in March and June and both times we had wonderful room No. 9. I have to say that, regarding to the "smelly" comment below, it always felt like walking into a fresh duvet cover surrounded by a coaxing wooden floor, it was very pleasing indeed and never smelled bad at all. The Ranola is perfectly located in downtown Sarasota with all the gorgeous restaurants (amazing pizza at Café Epicure), art galleries, boutiques, a wonderful farmer's market and Whole Foods in walking distance. The rooms are exceptionally well decorated, with a kitchen bigger than my own at home, and everything one needs. If it was possible I'd probably buy one of the apartments, it's just feels so welcoming and made only for you. Whenever you need something, you can ask Kathy and Lou and they'll make anything possible and assist you in every way.
We're looking forward to our next stay and hope it happens soon.